MOMMY PART
Hormones & libido
POSTPARTUM AFTERSHOCK
- Estrogen drops after delivery, often suppressing libido
- Prolactin and oxytocin (“breastfeeding hormones”) can alter sex drive
- Sleep deprivation, stress and post-delivery body image can all hurt libido
HOW TO HANDLE IT
- Be patient. It can take anywhere from weeks to years to get your mojo back ““ sometimes not ’til you wean your baby.
- “Don’t feel rushed into sex,” says Ottawa-based Dr. Vyta Senikas, an OB/GYN and a vice-president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
- But don’t wait too long: sex can help revive your libido.
MOMMY PART
Breasts
POSTPARTUM AFTERSHOCK
- Larger breasts: enjoy now ““ they’ll return to themselves once you’re no longer breastfeeding
- ome experience reduced perkiness, whether you breastfeed or not
- Possible stretch marks
HOW TO HANDLE IT
- Weight training targeting pecs, plus cardio for a more toned appearance overall. “Exercise so that you lose weight from your midsection and firm it,” says Dr. Senikas.
- Sagging is a reality. The extreme option: a breast lift*.
- Nix stretch-mark cream. “It doesn’t work,” says Dr. Senikas. “Or I’d be a millionaire.” Lighter marks might fade over time. (Consult a dermatologist about treatments for deep marks.)
MOMMY PART
Vagina
POSTPARTUM AFTERSHOCK
- Possible, um, widening of vaginal canal
- Potential loss of “traction,” meaning you can’t feel your partner’s penis inside you
- Some dryness and/or soreness
HOW TO HANDLE IT
- Kegels and hip-rolling exercises (like belly dancing or Strippercise) strengthen the pelvic floor, says author Lou Paget.
- If exercises don’t help, pelvic floor surgery* is the last resort. Ask an OB/GYN for a referral to a urogynecologist.
- “Use a lubricant, and go easy at first,” says Dr. Senikas.
MOMMY PART
Tummy
POSTPARTUM AFTERSHOCK
- Dreaded mommy fat on torso, hips, thighs and/or butt
- Maybe some excess stomach skin
- Some experience stretch marks
- Possible scarring from C-section
HOW TO HANDLE IT
- Do cardio plus weight training to burn calories, tone muscle and blast that fat!
- If exercise alone can’t eliminate trouble spots, some
